1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cartridge for printing and, in particular, to a cartridge for use in a thermal printing apparatus that records by using a thermal head.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recording apparatus for preparing labels has been widely known which uses a cartridge accommodating in a case an image receiving tape consisting of a roll of elongated label sheet or the like and an ink ribbon and which records by transferring ink of the ink ribbon to the image receiving tape.
The conventional cartridge and recording apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.
First, as shown in FIG. 7, which is an essential-part sectional view, the conventional cartridge R comprises a case 1 whose outer configuration is substantially rectangular. Side walls la formed around the case 1 cover the interior of the case 1.
In the upper right section of the cartridge, there is formed a substantially U-shaped head insertion recess 1b. In the upper left section of the head insertion recess 1b, there is formed a tape feed opening 1c, and, in the upper right section of the head insertion recess 1b, there is formed a tape discharge opening 1d.
Formed in the right side wall 1a is a ribbon registration section 1e equipped with two openings. Further, a substantially semi-circular tape re-wind window 1f is formed on the lower side of the top of the portion of the case 1 on the left-hand side of the head recess 1b.
Arranged on the left-hand side of the head insertion recess 1b is a tape supply spool 3 around which an elongated image receiving tape 2 consisting of paper or the like is wound in the form of a roll. Integrally formed in the lower section of the tape supply spool 3 is a gear plate 3a having a plurality of teeth in its outer periphery.
The image receiving tape 2 is drawn out of the tape feed opening 1c into the head insertion recess 1b. Then, the image receiving tape 2, which has undergone image recording in the head insertion recess 1b, passes through the tape discharge opening 1d to be discharged to the exterior of the cartridge R.
Arranged below the head insertion recess 1b are a ribbon supply spool 5 around which an ink ribbon coated with ink of a desired color is wound and a take-up spool 6 for taking up the ink ribbon 5 unreeled from the ribbon supply spool 5.
The ink ribbon 4 is drawn out of the tape feed opening 1c and fed to the head insertion recess 1d, ink being transferred to the image receiving tape 2 by a thermal head 7 described below to effect image recording.
After recording, the used ink ribbon 4 enters the interior of the case 1 again through the tape discharge opening 1d and is temporarily brought to the exterior at the ribbon registration section 1e before it is taken up by the ribbon take up spool 6.
When the ink ribbon 4 is a color ink ribbon, the ribbon registration section 1e makes it possible for the color in which the printing is to be started to be checked from outside and to determine the position at which printing in desired color is to be started.
In a recording apparatus (not shown) for recording images on the image receiving tape 2 by using the above-described conventional cartridge R, there is formed a cassette attachment section (not shown) or the like to which the cartridge R is attached.
As shown in FIG. 8, in this cassette attachment section, there are arranged a rotatable thermal head 7 having a heat generating section 7a, a platen roller 8, and a rewind gear 9. When the cartridge R is attached to the cassette attachment section, the thermal head 7 is positioned in the head insertion recess 1b of the cartridge R, and the rotatable platen roller 8 is arranged above and outside the head insertion recess 1b and at a position opposed to the thermal head 7.
Positioned in the tape rewind window 1f of the case 1 is a tape rewind gear 9 having a plurality of teeth in its outer periphery, the tape rewind gear 9 being engaged with the gear of the gear plate 3a of the tape supply spool 3.
When recording a color image using a color ribbon as the ink ribbon 4, the tape rewind gear 9 which is engaged with the gear of the gear plate 3a of the tape supply spool 3 is rotated. The image receiving tape 2 on which recording has been effected by transferring the ink of the first color is rewound, and ink of an ink ribbon of another color is superimposed for recording, whereby a color image of a desired color is obtained.
The cartridge R is placed on the cassette attachment section of the conventional recording apparatus, constructed as described above, and, as shown in FIG. 8, the image receiving tape 2 and the ink ribbon 4 are superimposed one upon the other and, in this condition, are guided between the thermal head 7 and the platen roller 8.
Then, the thermal head 7 is rotated, and the image receiving tape 2 and the ink ribbon 4 are pressed against the platen roller 8 at the heat generating section 7a; the heat generating section 7a of the thermal head 7 is controlled, and, while feeding the image receiving tape 2 and the ink ribbon 4 toward the tape discharge opening 1d by rotating the platen roller 8, ink of the ink ribbon 7 is transferred to the image receiving tape 2 to thereby record a desired image on the image receiving tape 2.
This recording apparatus is especially suitable for printing on a narrow and long label or the like and is widely used.
However, in the above-described conventional cartridge R, the image receiving tape 2 is formed as a roll of elongated tape, taken up by the tape supply spool 3 and accommodated in the case 1, so that the image receiving tape 2 after printing is curly; when or after separating the separation tape of the image receiving tape 2, it tends to be inclined when attached to a predetermined place, which makes the cartridge difficult to handle.
Further, since the image receiving tape 2 is formed as a roll of elongated tape, it has to be cut in a requisite length for use after desired characters, etc. have been recorded on the image receiving tape 2. Thus, it is necessary to incorporate a tape cutting mechanism in the recording apparatus, with the result that the recording apparatus is rather expensive.
Further, when no tape cutting mechanism is incorporated in the recording apparatus, the image receiving tape 2 after recording has to be cut by scissors, a cutter or the like.